The scientific name of the Mute Swan is Cygnus olor.
Description:
Mute swans are one of the largest birds in the world. They are about 56-62 inches in length and have a wingspan of 2-2.5 meters. (1) They can also grow to stand about 4 feet tall. Although males are larger than females, they both have vibrant orange bills, black knobs, and white plumage. They were brought to the United States from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s
Detailed Description
Lifespan:
The greatest age recorded for a banded mute swan was 19 years. In captivity, they have lived 30 to 40 years. (1)
Adult swans are not paired for life. In fact, some have been observed to have as many as four mates, or even 'divorce' one mate in favor of another. (1)
Nesting takes place between March and early April. Their nests are large, and are made of aquatic vegetation, and lined with feathers and down. There could be up to 5-12 eggs produced on average, but 5-7 are most common. It takes an average of
36 to 38 days for the eggs to hatch.
Baby swans are known as cygnets. The chicks are brownish gray (gradually turning white within the next 12 months) and only remain in the nest for one day. The male may often take the first-hatched cygnet to the water while the female continues to incubate the remaining eggs. They are able to fly in about 60 days. Chicks can ride on the backs of their parents or under their wings.
The cygnets then join flocks of other non-breeding swans, and during this time molt their feathers, becoming flightless for a short period of time. In the next two years, the cygnets begin to bond with a mate and begin to look for suitable
breeding territory. Swans do not begin to breed until about their third year. (1)
Diet:
Mute swans are omnivores. They're diet consists of aquatic vegetation, and small proportions of fish, insects,and frogs. Swans feed in deeper water than ducks for less competition. However, they still compete with other swans because they eat just about the same foods.
What makes the mute swan so successful?
mute swan nest
Mute swans are successful because they don't have much competition. It does not take long for the reproduction and they are very aggressive when it comes to the nest because they protect the cygnets so the population is increasing. They don't have many predators and they have plenty of food that is not hard to find.
Habitat
Mute swans are the most common swans in the wild, in parks or on country estates in their native range. In winter, they are more common on marine waters. They live in well-sheltered bays, open marshes, lakes, and ponds. (1) They live in those areas because there is more than enough food supply.
Distribution
Mute swans were introduced to North America in the late 1800s as decorations for parks, zoos and private estates. Between 1910 and 1912, over 500 mute swans were imported from Europe and Asia. However, a small number of these birds escaped into the wild. (2)
They were spotted in Maryland in 1954; in Virginia in the mid-1950s; and in Delaware in 1958. Wild populations became established in Maryland and Virginia in the 1960s, and have increased drastically since 1986. (2)
map of the us of mute swan residencies
Impacts
Positive impacts:
Mute swans were domesticated for food in Britain. Markings on their feet indicated ownership. Eventual domestication saved the bird from becoming hunted to extinction there. Feathers were also used as quills for writing, the leathery web used for purses, and the wing bones for making whistles. (1) Negative impacts: Because mute swans do not migrate, they continuously feed on bay grasses during the summer flowering and growing periods. This reduces the amount of grasses available for migratory waterfowl. Populations of many of these species have declined in the Bay due to a lack of available food. (2)
Impacts on Humans:
Swans may attack people who approach their nests too closely. There are records of them knocking boaters off of jet skis. An adult swan can seriously injure children.
Control Measures
Some environmental groups and wildlife managers want to rid North America of the birds. Animal rights groups and some swan enthusiasts want to protect them. (3) Wildlife managers say mute swans are destroying significant amounts of submerged aquatic vegetation and chasing other shorebirds away from their nesting sites. Animal rights advocates say managers haven't proven conclusively that the birds are responsible for significant damage to aquatic plants. (3) Currently, Pennsylvania does not have a formal policy for mute swans and has no regulations restricting their sale, trade or release. Historically, the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code classified mute swans as a non-protected species. In Virginia, the mute swan was listed as an exotic species and control efforts, including egg addling and removal of adult birds, were permitted in certain areas. (2)
THE MUTE SWAN
General Information
Scientific Name:
The scientific name of the Mute Swan is Cygnus olor.
Description:
Mute swans are one of the largest birds in the world. They are about 56-62 inches in length and have a wingspan of 2-2.5 meters. (1) They can also grow to stand about 4 feet tall. Although males are larger than females, they both have vibrant orange bills, black knobs, and white plumage. They were brought to the United States from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s
Detailed Description
Lifespan:
The greatest age recorded for a banded mute swan was 19 years. In captivity, they have lived 30 to 40 years. (1)
Adult swans are not paired for life. In fact, some have been observed to have as many as four mates, or even 'divorce' one mate in favor of another. (1)
Nesting takes place between March and early April. Their nests are large, and are made of aquatic vegetation, and lined with feathers and down. There could be up to 5-12 eggs produced on average, but 5-7 are most common. It takes an average of
36 to 38 days for the eggs to hatch.
Baby swans are known as cygnets. The chicks are brownish gray (gradually turning white within the next 12 months) and only remain in the nest for one day. The male may often take the first-hatched cygnet to the water while the female continues to incubate the remaining eggs. They are able to fly in about 60 days. Chicks can ride on the backs of their parents or under their wings.
The cygnets then join flocks of other non-breeding swans, and during this time molt their feathers, becoming flightless for a short period of time. In the next two years, the cygnets begin to bond with a mate and begin to look for suitable
breeding territory. Swans do not begin to breed until about their third year. (1)
Diet:
Mute swans are omnivores. They're diet consists of aquatic vegetation, and small proportions of fish, insects,and frogs. Swans feed in deeper water than ducks for less competition. However, they still compete with other swans because they eat just about the same foods.
What makes the mute swan so successful?
mute swan nest
Mute swans are successful because they don't have much competition. It does not take long for the reproduction and they are very aggressive when it comes to the nest because they protect the cygnets so the population is increasing. They don't have many predators and they have plenty of food that is not hard to find.Habitat
Mute swans are the most common swans in the wild, in parks or on country estates in their native range. In winter, they are more common on marine waters. They live in well-sheltered bays, open marshes, lakes, and ponds. (1) They live in those areas because there is more than enough food supply.
Distribution
Mute swans were introduced to North America in the late 1800s as decorations for parks, zoos and private estates. Between 1910 and 1912, over 500 mute swans were imported from Europe and Asia. However, a small number of these birds escaped into the wild. (2)
They were spotted in Maryland in 1954; in Virginia in the mid-1950s; and in Delaware in 1958. Wild populations became established in Maryland and Virginia in the 1960s, and have increased drastically since 1986. (2)
Impacts
Positive impacts:
Mute swans were domesticated for food in Britain. Markings on their feet indicated ownership. Eventual domestication saved the bird from becoming hunted to extinction there. Feathers were also used as quills for writing, the leathery web used for purses, and the wing bones for making whistles. (1)
Negative impacts:
Because mute swans do not migrate, they continuously feed on bay grasses during the summer flowering and growing periods. This reduces the amount of grasses available for migratory waterfowl. Populations of many of these species have declined in the Bay due to a lack of available food. (2)
Impacts on Humans:
Swans may attack people who approach their nests too closely. There are records of them knocking boaters off of jet skis. An adult swan can seriously injure children.
Control Measures
Some environmental groups and wildlife managers want to rid North America of the birds. Animal rights groups and some swan enthusiasts want to protect them. (3) Wildlife managers say mute swans are destroying significant amounts of submerged aquatic vegetation and chasing other shorebirds away from their nesting sites. Animal rights advocates say managers haven't proven conclusively that the birds are responsible for significant damage to aquatic plants. (3) Currently, Pennsylvania does not have a formal policy for mute swans and has no regulations restricting their sale, trade or release. Historically, the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code classified mute swans as a non-protected species. In Virginia, the mute swan was listed as an exotic species and control efforts, including egg addling and removal of adult birds, were permitted in certain areas. (2)
WORKS CITED
1. Ivory, A. 2002. "Cygnus olor" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 13, 2009 at
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cygnus_olor.html.
2. "Mute Swan." Chesapeake Bay Program: a Watershed Partnership. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2009.
<http://www.chesapeakebay.net/muteswan.aspx?menuitem=16930>.
3. Littleton, Julia. "Mute swans in peril.(bird conservation efforts)." E July-Aug. 2005: 11+. Student Resource Center - Gold. Web. 13 Dec. 2009. <http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=stro53037>.